content warnings:

Spoiler

ableism & ableist language, classism, racism, homophobia, threat of being outed, loss of loved ones, grief, depressive episodes, infidelity, relationship with significant age gap (14 and 19), domestic violence, rape, incest, pedophilia, self-medication, self-harm, Holocaust mention

rep:

Spoiler

Chilean main cast & setting; multiracial MCs, first-gen and second-gen immigrant MCs, lesbian MC, Arabic MC, Jewish MC, MC with ADHD, secondary character with bipolar disorder

Rating translated novels is tricky since I have to treat the author and translator as one entity, being unable to distinguish their respective contributions to the novel as I experienced it. With that in mind, though, I didn't find any of the women or their backstories to be particularly compelling, though it's always eye-opening to read about experiences and beliefs so different from my own. The premise was mildly intriguing but serves more as a blurred backdrop than a unifying framework for the disjointed chapters. Still, I think it was the last chapter (plus the epilogue) that knocked this down to 2 stars: the presented themes that I didn't feel were conveyed throughout the novel, and my general confusion as to what all was going on.

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CONVERSION: 5.85 / 15 = 2 stars

Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 2 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
Memorability: 1 / 5